Italy is strengthening the international promotion of its language, arts and cultural heritage through a new partnership between the Ministry of Culture and the Società Dante Alighieri.
The agreement was signed in Rome on September 21, 2026, at Palazzo Firenze by Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli and Società Dante Alighieri President Andrea Riccardi. It establishes a coordinated program designed to bring Italian culture to audiences around the world, working alongside Italy’s diplomatic network.
The initiative can draw on the Dante Alighieri’s extensive international presence, including approximately 400 locations in 70 countries. Cooperation will cover a remarkably broad spectrum – from art, archaeology and literature to publishing, live performance, cinema and audiovisual productions.
Language education will remain central. New programs will promote Italian specifically as a language for understanding art, while foreign students studying through the Dante network will have opportunities for internships at Italian state museums and cultural institutions.
One particularly innovative initiative is the new “Culture Passport.” It will provide deserving Dante Alighieri students, as well as international figures who have distinguished themselves in promoting Italian language and culture, with free admission to 10 major Italian museums.
Books will also have a prominent role. Joint activities will include Dantedì on March 25, literary centers and participation in major international publishing events, including the 2026 Guadalajara International Book Fair, where Italy will be Guest of Honor.
The partnership will additionally promote Italy’s historic villages internationally, encouraging travelers to discover cultural destinations beyond the country’s most famous cities.
Founded in 1889, the Società Dante Alighieri has spent more than 135 years bringing Italian language and culture to the world. The new agreement gives that historic mission an expanded institutional framework – connecting language, museums, books, cinema, heritage and travel in an increasingly coordinated international cultural network.
